The world's largest hotel company is giving its guests free Internet access. But there is a catch. U.K.-based Intercontinental Hotel Group, which includes such brands as Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza hotels, said guests will get free Internet at all of IHG's 4,600 hotels in more than 100 countries by joining its newly renamed loyalty reward program, IHG Rewards Club. To join, members must submit an email and a business or home address, which can be shared with third-party businesses.

Once known as an upstart carrier, Southwest Airlines recently launched an ad campaign that has some airline industry experts wondering whether it signals a new direction - and new fees - at the nation's largest domestic airline. The new ads, which began airing during the television broadcast of the NCAA tournament, don't mention the airline's most popular appeal - that your first two checked bags fly free and you don't pay to change flights. The ads also don't feature funny dialogue that slams competitors - a common theme in previous Southwest commercials.

WASHINGTON - The departure of Julius Genachowski as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has some public interest groups hoping his successor will fight harder for consumers against the growing clout of telecommunications giants. On Friday, Genachowski, a former venture capitalist and technology executive, said he would step down in the coming weeks after nearly four years on the job. He said his biggest accomplishment was focusing the agency on expanding high-speed Internet access.

Thanks to the increasing popularity of tablets and smartphones, the number of Internet-connected devices in U.S. homes has surpassed half a billion. The number of connected devices per U.S. household with Internet access has grown to 5.7, up from 5.3 devices three months ago, according to a report released Monday by market research firm NPD Group. During that period, the “installed base” of tablets grew by nearly 18 million units, and smartphone users increased by nearly 9 million.

Nguyen Hoang Vi was knocked from her motorcycle in an accident she believes was no accident. The windows of a car she was riding in were smashed nine months later, gashing her arms, legs and face, she told activists . Last spring her passport was taken away, rights groups say. Then, in December, police arrested and stripped her, saying she was hiding “illegal exhibits” inside her body, she alleged . State nurses forcibly searched her...

BEIJING - Could Google drag North Korea kicking and screaming into the 21st century? Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of the world's most popular search engine, on Thursday urged the world's most Internet-shy nation to open up or risk falling further behind the developed world. “As the world becomes increasingly connected, their decision to be virtually isolated is very much going to effect their physical world, their economic growth and so forth, and it will make it harder for them to catch up economically,” Schmidt told reporters at Beijing airport while en route home from Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.

BEIRUT - Internet and telephone service were restored to the Syrian capital Saturday, two days after a nationwide communications blackout spurred fear of new attacks and left anxious Syrians in and outside the country unable to contact loved ones and friends. The government also declared Saturday that Damascus' international airport was "safe" and that flights were "running normally" after clashes on the airport road had led to some flight cancellations. The feeling that the capital was being cut off prompted a flurry of rumors of a likely new upheaval in a nation where 20 months of bloody conflict has left thousands dead and forced millions from their homes.

Apple's iTunes 11 arrived this week, and it's pretty slick. But did you know you can also buy music, movies, shows and books for the iPhone and iPad from other digital stores? Google, through the Google Play store, and Amazon.com are two of Apple's fiercest rivals when it comes to selling digital content, and for good reason: They have good products, and sometimes they have them at lower prices. The same goes for Android users: They too can buy their digital goods from outlets other than Google Play.

BEIRUT - Syria was plunged into Internet darkness Thursday and much of the nation's telephone service was cut as fighting raged on the main road between Damascus and the capital's international airport. It could not be immediately determined whether the Internet blockage and the cutoff in telephone service were deliberate acts or the result of a power outage or damage to cables or other equipment. Fighting has engulfed several districts near the capital in recent weeks. Both sides reported clashes along the airport road.

Two entertainment industry executives announced plans to acquire two companies in a $430-million transaction aimed at capitalizing on the growing consumer demand for in-flight services. Global Eagle Acquisitions said it has reached an agreement to buy privately held Row 44 Inc., a Westlake Village company that provides satellite broadband service for Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest domestic carrier. It also agreed to acquire 86% of the outstanding shares of Advanced Inflight Alliance, a German company that supplies games, movies, general entertainment and applications to more than 130 airlines worldwide.